Kansas City wins the Women’s Cup, crowning a highly successful Olympic break – Equalizer Soccer
Photo Copyright Jay Biggerstaff for USA TODAY Sports
The Kansas City Current’s first trophy celebration had it all: TikTok dancing, a player covering himself in a brilliant confetti snow angel outfit after falling off the stage, and a proud coach standing away from the spotlight watching his team hoist the trophy.
Team co-owners Brittany and Patrick Mahomes were also on hand, sharing their suite with some of their friends from the Kansas City Chiefs, two-time Super Bowl defenders.
It was silly and a little strange, but it also felt right for this team that is successfully navigating a chaotic season in the National Women’s Soccer League.
“It was hilarious when the confetti was in everyone’s hair and mouths. It was fun,” said team captain Lo’eau LaBonta.
This is also LaBonta’s first trophy in Kansas City, although it is her fourth year with the franchise. She also played for Andonovski when he coached the city’s former NWSL team, FC Kansas City, in 2016 and 2017, but she missed the team’s two title runs.
“We fought hard. You know, at the end he was proud of us that we had three or four corners in the last minute and still came out on top,” LaBonta said. “These are always small victories that we enjoy and recognize.”
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This trophy was awarded after two matches in the Women’s Cup, first a 3-0 win against Mamelodi Sundowns FC and then a 1-0 championship match win against Atlético de Madrid on a balmy Saturday night at the CPKC Stadium.
It was the team’s second tournament during the league’s Olympic break. In the other tournament, Current made it to the finals of the inaugural NWSL x LIGA MX Femenil Summer Cup, which will be held in October.
While those statistics – phenomenal as they were – don’t count towards the league table, the confidence boost can’t hurt a team whose only blemish came in their last game before the break. The Currents lost 1-0 to Orlando Pride, who are top of the table and still unbeaten.
In six games across the two tournaments, Current outscored its opponents 16-1. Tigres UANL was the only one to score, despite trailing 2-0. Kansas City responded a few minutes later and eventually won the game 4-1.
Despite going into the break with just one goal, Debinha has seemed to return to form for Current in recent weeks, scoring the winning goal in the championship and three goals in the Summer Cup.
“A player like Debinha makes the difference,” Atlético Madrid coach Victor Marin said through an interpreter. “Even if you are well positioned, she finds the gap and a way to get behind them.”
She was named player of the match and received a unique 3D printed football boot signed by Leo Messi and made from recycled materials collected from cleaning and restoring rivers and seas. The trophy was designed by Join the Planet and presented in a glass display case.
“We haven’t seen Deb at her best yet, but we see how good and how dangerous she can be when she’s anywhere near her best,” coach Vlatko Andonovski said. “When she plays well, the players around her do well, and not only does the team look better. The team is fun to watch, too.”
Now the team has a few days to recover and prepare for its return to league action, with an away game against the Washington Spirit on Saturday, which begins the countdown to the final 10 games of the regular season, with a short break for the Summer Cup final on October 25.
The Current are second in the standings with a 10-1-5 record and a goal differential of 18. Despite only losing once, they are just one point ahead of the Spirit, who are 11-4-1. Gotham are a further three points behind at 9-3-4.
“Every win is nice and we want to enjoy it, but when we’re done with this one, we have to focus on the next game as well,” Andonovski said. “It’s important for us to win, to win this tournament, because we talk a lot about creating a winning mentality or a winning culture.”
Extending the mission to the community
While in town, the Women’s Cup also organized a camp for local female athletes called The Girl’s Cup. It was created and organized by Paul Dreisbach, TWC’s Director of Impact and Purpose, to give players from around the world the opportunity to engage with the host community.
Players from each team led clinics and answered questions from participants ages nine to 17. In collaboration with local clubs, 130 participants were invited from immigrant, low-income, refugee and club communities. A similar event was held in Louisville for children ages 11 to 16.
“The Girls Cup is the cornerstone of what we do,” Dreisbach said in a statement. “We want to create moments where girls can dream and see the paths that lie ahead of them, and then support and invest in them along the way. Creating social impact, engaging in the community and bridging the gap is not only the right thing to do, it’s essential to creating the game we all want and need.”
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